voidtreckermods: (voidtrain)
VoidTrecker Express Mods ([personal profile] voidtreckermods) wrote in [community profile] voidtreckerexpress2021-03-01 05:44 am

A New Platform [Intro Post March]

On the Train

Once again passengers are awoken by the morning announcement.

"Good morning passengers, it is day One of the month of Kazoo. Points have been updated on the system."

They have indeed, and everyone can spend the morning shopping. Those who have been on the train for a while will also be expecting the second announcement that comes a few hours later.

"Shortly arriving into a designated void platform. Exit from void in ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one." A lurch and a jolt and the windows fill with the fog that means they are at a platform. The fog is thick, the air is warm and humid and there are rumbles of thunder, the air heavy with the promise of rain.

As usual the first to leave the train notice nothing as they walk silently, rucksacks on their backs, towards the barriers: Alfredo Martini, Daia, Enna Alchiba, Lord El-Melloi II, Natsuno Yuuki, Nita Callahan, Saku Gyousou, Sakura, V and Wen Qing

But on the platform itself there are new faces. Wearing hoodies in all four colours, in various states of confusion.

For New Passengers

At first all they can see is steam, billowing around them as they come to their senses. As their eyes adjust, they will see they are on a platform, glass and dark stone rising in sturdy arches around them. Behind them is a set of barriers, and in front of them is a single track extending both ways into thick fog.

They are standing, in clothes that are not their own and a style they might not even recognise. They are carrying a rucksack on their back. For a moment it seems to just be them, alone in the white haze; then the steam begins to fade and they realise they aren’t alone.

The platform is not large, and seems smaller with twenty-seven figures scattered around. All facing the tracks, all dressed in cargo trousers and hoodies. To both the left and right, tracks disappear into the mist.

A roaring sound, and out of the fog arrives a train. Jet black with gold writing on the side. The Voidtrecker Express. There is a hiss as the doors slide open and out step a strange assortment of people. Some are human, some are less so. Most are wearing the same hoodie in one of the four colours, red, orange, blue and purple, though some are sporting different clothes in a variety of styles.

The Train

After a short time, the doors hiss open again. Those from the train may encourage those on the platform to board. It’s not like there's anywhere else to go and even if there was, you feel a pull. A need to board, a feeling that staying on the platform would lead to something terrible. If that is not enough, there are plenty of people on the platform now, to encourage them onto the train.

Each ICP shows the same message and next to the screens there are stacks of leaflets written by those on the train, with further information (see
'Publications'). Those not new to the train will note the addition of an eighth sleeper carriage. The store rooms have been restocked with fresh ingredients, it seems the month of Kazoo is defined by the tomato and there are plenty of them.

For passengers that have bought items, these are also scattered around the luggage carriage in various suitcases and bags.

New passengers will find their ticket allows them into their cabins. They may need to negotiate for beds, especially if they want a top bunk!

Room is tight but there are storage cubbies at the head of each bed, beds fold up and the bottom bunks double as benches for the small table. There is storage under those benches full of spare blankets and pillows.

Departure

A second horn sounds to encourage any stragglers as thunder rumbles further and the storm threatens to break. The doors slide shut. Veteran passengers know what will happen next, but they may wish to brief their new companions.

The train sets off, the fog obscuring the view again as it picks up speed.

"Welcome aboard, passengers of the Voidtrecker Express." A female-coded artificial sounding voice echoes throughout the train. "Please take the time to read the passenger information displayed on the Information and Communication points and familiarise yourself with the layout and emergency exits."

The train begins to tilt, leaving the ground and rising up into the fog-filled sky.

"Entrance into Voidspace imminent. New passengers are advised to remain seated. Entry into Voidspace in ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one."

A shudder, a jolt, a lurch to the left. A flash of light, colourful and blinding. As quick as it happens it is done. The train seems to steady itself. The fog from the windows is gone now, replaced with a kaleidoscope of ever-changing colours.

Welcome to the Void!
mynameisallen: (Glance ★ Towards a new world)

[personal profile] mynameisallen 2021-03-14 03:00 pm (UTC)(link)
"I can agree to that one, but there are some cases where fighting is the only way to save someone. At least it was for me back home." Because how else was he going to save souls that were trapped when the only way to save them was using his weapon to destroy them?

"If the next mission you see a way to avoid violence, let me know because I'd be happy to help"
mynameisallen: (101)

[personal profile] mynameisallen 2021-03-14 03:05 pm (UTC)(link)
"That's nice. I mean after all, for a library it doesn't have much except for what people buy." Which was... weird if he was honest. Why give them that and not give them much in terms of actual books.
mynameisallen: (200)

[personal profile] mynameisallen 2021-03-14 03:08 pm (UTC)(link)
"So kind of like me." He was just really good at now showing it perhaps, but he has his moments of not being able to sleep thanks to certain things.

"See. Plus so many people go and welcome others anyway, I sometimes feel like if I go it might then overwhelm others as well. But it's understandable no matter what."
fennu: (tu10681)

[personal profile] fennu 2021-03-14 03:21 pm (UTC)(link)
"That's kind of you. Thank you."

Jiang Cheng offers a nod - but he's still not really sure how to handle himself, especially around children he's not related to nor teaching.

"Have you been here a long time?"
luckydragonsfoot: (stare sadly into the middle distance-)

[personal profile] luckydragonsfoot 2021-03-14 03:22 pm (UTC)(link)
"Hah! Welcome t' my life! Tha's how it always feels! Guess it's t' make it feel less bad when it happens 'r somethin'..."
fennu: (007)

[personal profile] fennu 2021-03-14 03:28 pm (UTC)(link)
"I came only with Zidian. Perhaps that was lucky as well."

He's not going to ask why he can't work with purple team any longer - partly because he still doesn't understand everything and also because he doesn't really care - but it seems like where he ought to be. Jiang was always purple and, of course, he's better at fighting.

"I'll go wherever the fight is."
fennu: (090)

[personal profile] fennu 2021-03-14 03:36 pm (UTC)(link)
He had seen what he had thought was her ghost, but to know that it was really her, that she was somehow here and leaving...

Jiang Cheng has to swallow, looking over at the gates. On his hand, his Zidian sparks, little snaps of purple before he breathes out and forces himself to calm down; there's no need to get angry, there's no need to upset this girl just because he's miserable about something unavoidable.

"Can they come back?"

Will she come back again?
fennu: (cql20081)

[personal profile] fennu 2021-03-14 03:39 pm (UTC)(link)
The fact that people are being friendly to him is something he's still getting used to; he's more accustomed to people being afraid of him, or in awe of him, or judging him - kindness isn't something that strangers offer Jiang Cheng very often. Most people know him too well by reputation and association to dare offer him something as simple as kindness.

But at least he's managed to be polite to Wen Ning, at least he's managing to be something other than angry and hurt. It's not good and maybe things will never be good, especially not when he's adjusting to something like this, but at least they're not at each other's throats.

Not that he thinks Wen Ning would be deliberately malicious. He doesn't think so anyway, not from his memories of him.

"That seems sensible," it would make him more comfortable, at least for now. "I'm sure we'll meet again."
mynameisallen: (Stare ★ Are you a saint or a sinner?)

[personal profile] mynameisallen 2021-03-14 03:44 pm (UTC)(link)
"The here is the platform to the Voidtrecker Express which is the train behind me." Easy enough question at least and something he could answer at least confidently.

"We come to these types of platform every two weeks."
blitzcheer: (the ocean's sun)

[personal profile] blitzcheer 2021-03-14 03:46 pm (UTC)(link)
Right, he came here for more than the blitz books; some with shapes he can't really distinguish, but those he aren't caring about more than anything book shaped. Those he looks into, and -- no, these are comics, which he does show the cover of one to Taiki and jokes, "You like robots?", will pass it over anyway, just so he can have a look. There's the book for baking cakes and other sweet treats, and then...

"Aha!" Bingo! He's got one, with a photographic cover showing someone submerged in water, reaching for a blitzball. This wasn't the exact one he was searching for, but he's turning it around and examining it, taking a flip through some pages.

"Ohhh, yeah..." Hmmm, hmmm...! "This one's about a place that plays blitzball! Wow, what's all this about?"

There's a lot more going on than Tidus was expecting.
mynameisallen: (Ahha ★ Resisting urge to punch you)

Re: Training Gym

[personal profile] mynameisallen 2021-03-14 03:47 pm (UTC)(link)
"I would actually appreciate it. Besides the last time I trained with someone with a sword it would usually just end up in a fist fight." He and Kanda at that time really, really did not get along and it just seemed to end up that way when they would start to argue.

"It's not my best area, so I could always stand to improve especially considering the size of the sword I use."
myblueskies: (of course!)

[personal profile] myblueskies 2021-03-14 04:51 pm (UTC)(link)
Romeo leaned forwards, reaching out towards his hand to grasp it if Ken allows it. "It's okay Ken-kun! It's a bit scary I know and I just gave you lots of information and you just came to the train! So it's okay if it's tricky to keep your spirits up."

He's struggling with that today too, Alfredo just left, one more friend vanished. But that's why he can only be glad that another friend is here, even if it's a different version and even if Ken doesn't know they are friends yet!

"It will be okay though!"
light_of_willpower: (long hair profile talking)

[personal profile] light_of_willpower 2021-03-14 04:53 pm (UTC)(link)
"That's one way to view it. Unfortunately, we can't really talk to it easily either. We can give it suggestions, but it has limited ways to reply back. It DID give us a 3 question per passenger limit one time, but that seemed to take a lot of energy for it."
vanity_fair: IM (Hmmmm)

[personal profile] vanity_fair 2021-03-14 04:53 pm (UTC)(link)
Tony shakes his head, adds a last tuft to Wolfy's tail, and taps the end of his pencil against the edge of the sketchpad. "Not that I've seen."

Pausing then, he leans back in his seat, a shift of posture and body language that says he's actually engaging with her. Hey, she's a captive audience, he'll take it. "Were this normal, Earth conditions on a level grade, I wouldn't bat an eye. What's powering it? What technology do they have to turn a mid-19th century locomotive, a museum piece, into something that can defy physics?"

"And if we can find all that out, how can we use that to get us home?"
hashtagparkerluck: (vbBwbpO)

[personal profile] hashtagparkerluck 2021-03-14 05:01 pm (UTC)(link)
Peter is far more perceptive that most people tend to give him credit for. It works to his advantage quite a bit, actually. He has a unique way of looking at things and other problems that get thrown his way and it typically gets the job done. That being said, a twin was not what he was expecting. He supposed Buttercup had never explicitly stated she didn't have a twin sister and he'd never asked. Probably because not only was an orphan but he was an only child so in his mind he thought she was probably an only child as well.

A twin though. He's heard rumors that twins are extremely close and some people even believe they have some kind of psychic connection. There are so many things he suddenly wants to ask but he could tell by her tone and the way she curls in on herself that this is something monumental that she's revealed to him. Her words are extremely telling though 'Did be having.' There are still some moments where Peter has to repeat what she tells him in his head to figure it out but past tense is still past tense-she lost her sister somehow.

Again, he just wants to scoop her into a hug and protect her from all the bad thoughts he knows she has.

"A twin." He says, trying to fight the way his eyes are starting to water a little-he can't even imagine- "That's cool."

That's a lame thing to say but he's doing his best to not break down and cry for her because he's pretty sure she wouldn't appreciate it. "M-maybe... I mean time doesn't really work the same here, right? Maybe-Maybe you're sister will turn up. And you can give her a name-maybe something to match yours, you know? since your sisters? What about like... Lily or-or Daisy?" He really needs to learn how to not ramble.
Edited (your vs you're ugh. ) 2021-03-14 17:02 (UTC)
dreamtamer: (pic#14400439)

[personal profile] dreamtamer 2021-03-14 05:26 pm (UTC)(link)
"I've gone on a couple of different missions, and it seems like the threat for each world is different."

longforgottenpromise: (confused)

[personal profile] longforgottenpromise 2021-03-14 06:06 pm (UTC)(link)
"Robots?" He looks at the comics, they look... very violent but he is sure that Tidus will enjoy them, they look exciting at least. But then Tidus is looking through one, he must have found it.

He moved closer to look over his shoulder.

"Oh..." It looked like... That's a lot of history, it's hard to get through the pictures and the few words he gets on page flips.

"Is it the same game?"

It looks the same, to his eyes at least.
firewalled: (Default)

[personal profile] firewalled 2021-03-14 06:13 pm (UTC)(link)
"That's fair. But is it really messing if I'm kind of a fan of it?" Rich, goodness. Stop being thirsty.
spikelet: (pic#14004032)

[personal profile] spikelet 2021-03-14 06:20 pm (UTC)(link)
"You want to get home that badly?" Technology, locomotive, physics. They're all terms she's heard bandied about on the train; she's not partaken in the discussions, but she's listened. And people talk about it all the time, throwing about theories, complaining about physics or magic, or both. He'll enjoy those, she thinks, and rests her chin on her folded arms.

"And I meant there are two engines. A normal one and a Void one. The characters talk about it in Merry Little Voidtrain, the first episode, because their Void engine broke and they were stuck."
knifewithnoname: (yes okay)

[personal profile] knifewithnoname 2021-03-14 06:31 pm (UTC)(link)
"Yes. This do be being the tenth month."

A very long time to be far from home and stuck on a train. But at least it meant she had wisdom to pass on.
knifewithnoname: (sadness)

[personal profile] knifewithnoname 2021-03-14 06:40 pm (UTC)(link)
His words are casual but she can see his eyes starting to go leaky. She scowls but true to his word he doesn't... It doesn't change anything. He doesn't make a fuss about it and he doesn't ask any nosy questions.

But he does... She scowls again. Her sister turning up. She can't even think about how that will feel. How that would be.

"No one did ever be coming from my world before." She pointed out, because that was easier. Better than thinking of names.

Her sister wouldn't want a name to match her.
blitzcheer: (all for you)

[personal profile] blitzcheer 2021-03-14 06:42 pm (UTC)(link)
"Maybe!" He flips slower with Taiki actually there curious with him, making Tidus think to actually try and read the book too. But there's a lot of talking about the world, the people -- Tidus ain't got time (read: the patience) to do more than glean what's there.

"There's a ball. And it's in water..." And that's what, two out of three? He does want to take a look through it better, but there's just one more book for him to peel the paper off, so he puts that onto one knee, starts tearing into the other.

There we go. Blitzball in big letters on a more action dynamic covering. Tidus's face brightens instantly.

"Alright!"
enthunder: (speak ☇ consider)

good friends........................... wow

[personal profile] enthunder 2021-03-14 06:50 pm (UTC)(link)
"I- thanks. But that's not it," she's quick to correct him. The idea of him consoling her leaves a sour taste in her mouth, when it's on Wen Qing's behalf that she wants to tear the train apart with her bare hands. "Look. We-- every day, we'd ask the system to find you. She wanted you here more than anything, to know you were safe. So..."

How to say this? That she feels in part responsible for stranding him here? She gives an internal shrug, and squares her shoulders. "I'm just her, uh... friend, and you don't owe me shit. But if you need anything, just let me know, alright?"
firewalled: (Once more?)

[personal profile] firewalled 2021-03-14 06:50 pm (UTC)(link)
"Oh... geez, I'm sorry he left. I haven't gotten really close to anyone who's disappeared, I think." But the thought of it still terrifies him every time they come to a platform.

"If you don't mind me taking up your free time though..."
light_of_willpower: (long hair profile talking)

[personal profile] light_of_willpower 2021-03-14 07:03 pm (UTC)(link)
"It was already taken up Rich, so I certainly don't mind." Trunks wouldn't have offered otherwise. "It was twice a week in the training gym."